Page 56 of Sun Elves of Ardani

The magic she’d taken from the obelisk was depleted. She was down to her last shreds of strength. For a blissful day, she’d almost forgotten what this felt like.

“Looks like you fixed it,” Neiryn said.

“Yes…” She was hesitant to let herself claim victory just yet. “I hope it doesn’t happen again any time soon, because I’ll need another trip back to the obelisk in order to do anything about it.”

She spotted Eliyr across the street, looking as exhausted as she felt. They exchanged nods. Then he glanced up at Neiryn, giving him a curious look. Kadaki quickly put a few steps between them.

People started to come out of their houses. The Ysuran soldiers on the street began to regroup. It was quiet, but there was an air of cautious relief throughout the town.

Then Kadaki heard shouting and crying.

Down the street, an elf was dragging a human woman out of a house and onto the street. He had her by the arm, and she was struggling to pull away from him. Anger gripped Kadaki as she recognized both of them. Commander Caradoc and the fortune teller, Kleo. A small crowd was already gathering around them.

Caradoc threw Kleo to the ground in the middle of the street. She flinched as his boots struck the icy cobblestone.

“Confess,” he commanded.

“I haven’t done anything!” Kleo cried. “I swear on all the gods. I don’t know how this happened.”

“A mage is responsible for this. Do you think we’re fools? Do you think we don’t know this is the work of the rebels?”

“I’m not with any rebels! Please, I’m not even a mage!”

“She hasn’t done anything,” Kadaki called. “None of this happened because of her.”

Caradoc looked up at her. His expression darkened when he recognized her, his lips curling in displeasure. As soon as he looked up, Kleo tried to dart away. He grabbed her before she’d taken two steps. Kadaki jumped as he struck Kleo across the face.

All the Ardanians in the crowd stood back, fearful. The Ysurans did nothing. Kadaki began to step forward, rage flickering through her.

Neiryn’s low voice behind her made her stop. “Kadaki, don’t.”

“Then you go help her!” she hissed. “Where is Rhian? Why does no one do anything?”

“These aren’t our soldiers. They’re not under our command.”

“So? What about what you did last time? You threatened him, and he retreated.”

He looked around at the crowd, nervous. “Kadaki, that was… different.”

Her jaw tightened with anger. “Because people weren’t watching?”

He pressed his lips together and didn’t deny it. She was right. He was too cowardly to defy his superiors in public, even when they were doing wrong.

“Please,” Kadaki begged. “Please, do something.”

“Kadaki, I can’t.”

Kleo was still struggling to escape. There was a red welt on her face where Caradoc had hit her, bleeding from where the metal of his gauntlet had cut into her. He raised his hand to hit her again, and she flinched.

It was too much for Kadaki to take. Before she had time to think, she had raised her hand, drawing magic into a spell. Before Caradoc’s blow could land, she had flung him straight upward, where he hung several dozen feet in the air. His limbs pinwheeled. The look on his face was one of pure shock and panic.

There was a chorus of gasps from the crowd. All eyes focused on Kadaki. Kleo stared for a moment, then ran, disappearing into the crowd.

Kadaki wished she could say she regretted it as soon as she did it. She knew there would be consequences, certainly. But she didn’t regret it. She had enjoyed it too much. The astonished look on Caradoc’s face was one she would remember for a long time.

But the consequences for this were going to be quite bad, weren’t they?

“Put him down!”

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